Serena Williams is First Athlete to be Named CFDA Fashion Icon

Serena Williams made history on November 6, when she was named "Fashion Icon" by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), becoming the first athlete to earn this coveted honour. The CFDA, which is recognized for honouring and encouraging excellence in fashion, honoured Williams at a glittering event at New York's American Museum of Natural History.

Kim Kardashian, reality TV personality and fashion mogul, presented Williams with the 2023 CFDA Fashion Icon Award. The tennis star attended the event in a gorgeous black sequined gown designed by CFDA Chairman Thom Browne. The event was attended by celebrities from the entertainment and fashion industries.

Serena Williams discussed her love of fashion and how it has influenced her life both on and off the tennis court in her acceptance speech. "I experimented with fashion and style in order to distinguish myself." "In many ways, the tennis courts became my runway," Serena said, emphasizing the intimate relationship between her professional career and her love of design.

Serena Williams' fashion path has been extensive; she studied fashion during her tennis career and debuted her own clothing brand, S by Serena, in 2018. As she previously stated, "My clothes represent women everywhere - indomitable mothers, daughters, and sisters; resilient businesswomen and entrepreneurs; outsiders and underdogs; little girls with crazy dreams and unflinching women of colour."

Despite retiring from professional tennis in 2022, Serena Williams intimated that she is not done with the sport, saying, "I am not retired," and hinting at a return, indicating her continuous connection to the game she excelled in for years. She described her post-tennis career as a "evolution" in a Vogue magazine piece.